This semester, I am finishing my graduate degree in the Master of Science in Student Affairs Administration program. As my time at Binghamton University comes to a close, I am in the process of job searching in the Student Affairs field. Balancing remaining coursework, an on-campus internship, graduate assistant position, and personal commitments can be difficult to do, but manageable. Adding in the full time job itself of job searching and everything that comes with it can easily become overwhelming. Looking for a job isn’t as simple as clicking “apply”. There are many requirements that go along with it: resume/CV editing, cover letter writing, interview preparation, and more. Additionally, once the ball gets rolling, staying organized with which places you are waiting to hear back from, when interviews are, cost of rent by location, and more is no simple task.
Let’s dive into how to use HigherEdJobs.Com and creating your own Job Search Tracker using Google Sheets to go from overly stressed— to having things in check!
Leveraging the different tools on HigherEdJobs.Com not only can optimize your job search, but also help you break it down into more digestible pieces. When you sign up for a HigherEdJobs.Com account as a “job seeker”, you can receive emails about job updates relevant to your search preferences (job alerts), post your resume/CV, and track your applications.
Listed below are the main ways that HigherEdJobs.Com makes the job search process much easier and more organized, especially if you are applying to many different positions.
- Browsing jobs is broken down into four different sections with corresponding subsections: by category (administrative, faculty, and executive), by location (metro/region, state/province, country, online/remote), by school (four-year institutions, two-year institutions, all institutions, and institutional profiles), and by type (dual career, today’s jobs, adjunct/part-time, diversity & inclusion, and military-friendly).
- The “by location” search shows a U.S. map display that you can click on to explore institutions by city, region, state, etc.
- When browsing jobs, you can “save” them by hitting the like button (heart shaped symbol), and these jobs will automatically get added to your Organizer. This is my personal favorite feature of the website because it allows me to see all of my “liked” jobs in one place, and stay organized with my applications. On the Organizer tab, you can also add follow-up reminders for saved jobs and will receive emails from HigherEdJobs on the specified date.
- HigherEdJobs.Com also has a lot of helpful resources besides organizing your job search. Under the “News and Resources” tab, newsletters, HigherEdJobs podcast, job search tips, resume/CV writing service, and more are provided (for free!) There is also a tab titled “Employers” which is broken down into subcategories like “job postings” and “posting updates”.
Job Search Tracker
Currently, I am utilizing HigherEdJobs.Com in conjunction with my own Google Sheets titled “Job Search Tracker” to stay organized. Also, I created a folder in my Google Drive titled Job Search, which mostly consists of cover letters for different schools and my Google Sheets tracker.
HigherEdJobs.Com provides me with the essentials. However, I like to also keep track of additional job search information. Listed below are the ways I have organized my Job Search tracker to record the supplemental details.
*Note*: My job search tracker is a work in progress. I am still at the beginning of my search, so I plan on adding more sheets to my Google Sheets as I progress.
- On my Job Search Tracker (on Google Sheets), I have four sheets titled “Schools of Interest”, “Applied To”, “Professional Development” and “Locations of Interest/Cost of Living”.
- My sheet called “Schools of Interest” is organized by institution name, institution type (liberal arts, research institution, etc.), and location. For example, if I am interested in the University of Vermont but I don’t currently see any open positions on HigherEdJobs.Com, by recording UVM as a potential interest, I can create a job alert on HigherEdJobs.Com and make a note on my tracker to reach out to someone at the institution to do an informational interview.
- For my “Applied To” sheet, I keep track of where I have actually applied to and the application materials required, and cells with titles like “Interview?” and “Sent Thank You Email?”
The job search can seem like a daunting process. Staying organized, utilizing your resources, and taking advantage of the Fleishman Center services designed specifically for graduate students can really help make this process feel more doable.
For more graduate student resources, click on this link: https://careertools.binghamton.edu/channels/graduate-student/
